


rewind

by lostalongtthewayy



Series: whatever it takes [15]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, back in time adventure, cs fluff, true love sapling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-12 17:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11741679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostalongtthewayy/pseuds/lostalongtthewayy
Summary: prompt ;; CS + back in time adventure. Or y'know… the one in which going back to the Beanstalk to retrieve their very own ‘magic little baby tree’ becomes a family affair of sorts. CS future family fluff <3





	rewind

**Author's Note:**

> I've got all of a thousand WIPs that I've been working on and off since last year so....let’s see if I can tackle them and finish some of them at least =) I’ve always wanted CS to go back to ‘Tallahasse’ so this is one of the many many scenarios I’ve pictured hehe! :D If you squint just so, you may catch some bits of plot :)
> 
> (Lil Miss Estella Jones is about eight in this one…)

— ღ   —

“It would appear we’re _back_ …”

Emma grunts. No, no, she doesn’t especially _want_ to be _back_. Not really. She knows they _have_ to; it isn’t an accident this time that they are back, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it right?

She pouts, touching at the spot on her head that hurts the most. There’s no doubt there’s going to be some notable bruising in the morning. She groans.

Killian’s landing isn't any more glamorous than hers was; he’s sprawled on the soft, muddy grass just a few feet away, looking over.

Emma manages to sit on her butt and looks at him as he rises to his feet. “You all right there, Swan?”

Emma nods, although _‘all right_ ’ may not really cover how she’s feeling right now.

It takes them _both_ a full moment to make sense of everything —when it _finally_ hits them though, Killian’s face falls and he runs a hand over his face.

 _Estella_.

Emma looks around them frantically but it’s plenty clear their kid landed elsewhere.

Emma’s heart sinks. She knows Estella’s close, she can _feel_ as much. She knows she isn’t hurt but all the same, she can’t help worrying. Her heart hammers at the thought alone of their kid in the Enchanted Forest of all places by herself.

“When I get my hands on her, Killian…” Emma says, shaking her head.

Killian helps her stand up and the second she looks at him, sees the raw fear in _his_ eyes, the rest of her sentence dies on her lips. Above all, she’s scared too. She’s not _really_ mad at Estella; Emma knows they just _need_ to find her and get her the hell out of here.

And it is as if Killian can read her thoughts; before Emma can properly process it, his arms go around her, comfortingly holding her to him. “I believe the most pressing issue right now is finding her,” he whispers into her hair.

Emma feels tired, but soothed by him all the same. They can always think about their kid’s future monumental punishment _after_ they find her and she’s safe and sound.  

Killian’s smiling playfully when she lifts her eyes to his. “Third time’s the charm, huh?” He asks.

Emma shakes her head. She knows he’s just as worried as she is, but he’s trying to cheer her up and she appreciates that. It's as if he thinks he can take away some of her worry by smiling at her that infuriating perfect smile he has, and wiggling those eyebrows in that infuriatingly comical way he does.

Emma loves him. And his antics may just be working.

As she looks around, sees the _massive_ beanstalk in the distance —the very same one she’s only seen in her own dreams and memories for years, she figures Killian’s really not that off base.

She sighs to herself, all the while Killian is still looking like a stupidly hopeful puppy that can’t contain his excitement at the prospect of their newest adventure.

“It’s been a while, eh, love?”

Emma’s face softens at that —when it comes to disarming her, he's an expert. She gives him a small smile and reaches for his hand. “That’s a bit of an understatement,” she agrees.  

Killian’s grin is almost that of a small excited boy. As much as Emma wishes they weren’t here, she _does_ get it a little. This _is_ supposed to be an easy mission; get here, retrieve magic little baby tree, zoom right back to their actual crisis back home.

It _was_ to be that simple —if only Estella didn't decide to crash their mission on the last second and complicate the entire equation.

And it's not as if they are _that_ surprised; their lives are never that simple after all.

— ღ   —

They start walking shortly. They _need_ to find their daughter, that's the only thought in their minds.

The woods they travel are familiar yet also surreal the closer they get to their destination. They follow Emma’s gut —her instincts. They aren't certain how their kid is faring in this land, but they do know it’s in her nature to _find them_ as well.

Emma’s only hope is that they can find Estella before but she finds a _different_ version of her parents.

Killian doesn’t miss Emma's worry. He notices her unfocused and almost troubled disposition with every step they take. The way she worries her lip. The way she idly plays with the rings on his fingers. The way her eyes wander about them every so often as if Estella is going to come bounding out of any of these paths any second.

He wishes he just _knew_ where Estella is; knew exactly how to take Emma's worry away. “Hey, what are you thinking?”

Emma startles. She looks at him; his soft eyes on her calm her quickly though. “I was just wondering which part of the story we are at _exactly_ ,”

“I thought Estella said the moment we met?”

“Yeah,” Emma agrees, but then adds. “That’s what worries me…” she confesses. “Call me crazy but I don’t exactly want our kid to see me pointing a knife to your neck,” she says, giving Killian a knowing look. “Never mind the tenths of corpses we found you with. Or you know, _Ogres_ …or, I don’t know, freaking Cora? Our own selves?!?!”

Killian has no option but to give her this one — “Fair point,” he says, moving to stroke her back. Emma just shifts her eyes up to him, and he knows the gesture, the closeness right now, is appreciated —if not exactly helpful.

“We didn’t think this through, Killian,” Emma sighs. “Estella’s probably risking her own existence, isn't she? What if old me finds her? What if — _holy shit_ , what if my mom or Mulan — _God_ , what if _Aurora_ goes up the beanstalk with you instead of me?”

Killian fights the urge to roll his eyes. “Now you're exaggerating, love…”

“Am I?” Emma asks him with wide eyes.

“Aye,” Killian insists anyway, shrugging. “I remember that look on your face back then —even if you were to find a strange child, you wouldn’t have let anyone else climb that cursed thing with me —it was in the cards for us, love….”

Emma thinks about that but Killian can tell she’s not convinced. “Think about it,” Killian continues, easily. “You’d first make me carry Estella on my back on the way up, than allowing someone else to accompany me…”

Emma makes a face, reluctantly knowing he’s right about this. “Maybe,”

Killian feels a grin tugging at his lips at this victory already. “Admit it, you’d do it just for the joy to see me squirm?”

“Oh yeah,” Emma doesn’t even have to keep thinking. She allows herself a real smile. “Definitely. Can't miss out the chance, can I now?”

“No, Swan, not at all…” Killian agrees, his eyes playful on hers.

He knows deep down Emma’s still no less worried —neither is he to be completely honest. He's however bloody thankful for this moment —even if he already knows it won't last much longer.

When the little smile on her face falls inevitably and she squeezes her eyes tight, Killian moves without thought to her side and cups her face gently. “Hey, hey, look at me,” he says. “We _did_ think this through, love…we did, it’s just…well, we simply did not factor in the little lass not wanting to miss out,”

Emma nods at him —Estella wasn’t exactly supposed to come. At the last second, it’d been impossible to stop her from jumping in after them.

“We should have known though,” he says, and Emma looks at him confused. “I mean…she’s _your_ daughter, Swan, that stubbor— OW! OY!”

Emma can actually manage a small smile at his theatrics —she didn’t even slap him _that_ hard. “You were saying,”

He pouts at her, looking like a sad kicked puppy for a moment.

It takes one of Emma’s smirks for him to drop the act. He wrinkles his nose instead, smiling at her gently. “This _is_ Estella’s idea, love —we should have known she wasn’t just going to sit back and wait —she’s _our_ child,”

Ten points to Killian for that one. Emma just nods.

They continue their walk, hands intertwined as they move toward that same camp they met each other once upon a time.

They actually don’t need to walk far before they are there —literally _there_. Emma gasps, and comes to a full stop as soon as she sees it —they aren’t extremely close yet, but she can still see it well.

Killian stops walking too, and he seems just as stunned as Emma feels at the sight.

“I guess this answers your question as to where in the book we are, huh?”

Emma doesn’t even look at him, she just looks ahead —sees herself, sees Killian. They are talking, and while she can’t remember _exactly_ what she’s telling him, she knows it’s about to get ugly.

She still smiles though because that liar little shit before them is her husband and she wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

Killian catches her smile and moves closer, resting his chin on her shoulder and…yeah, he starts gloating. Emma doesn’t turn to see his face, but she _knows_ the bastard is gloating at her smile. “Shut it,” she warns, but it makes him laugh. It’s low, and husky, and his scruff is scratching at her neck just so and _fuck_ —if only the twenty-eight year old version of herself could see her right now. She’d have a heart attack on the spot, that’s for sure.

“Oh,” Killian says, his voice still stupidly low and in her ear making her shiver. “Look at you, so, so distrustful Swan…”

He’s talking about her younger self, and it makes her roll her eyes. She turns her face to him, and glares —okay, _tries_ to glare. “Oh,” she mimics the tone he used before. “Look at you too, so, so… _untruthful_ , _Hook_ ,

Killian snickers —yes, he has to own up to that one. He smirks, but then shifts and watches on the scene unfolding a few feet in front of them. He can’t see himself that well, but he sees _Emma_ and… “Always were a passionate one, _you_ ….from the start…”

Emma’s eyes are on them as well —their old selves, and the avalanche of emotions she’s feeling right now are hard to tell apart.

She relaxes against Killian for a moment though —she briefly closes her eyes and takes in a deep calming breath.

Before she’s managed to take a second breath however—

“WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?”

The loud shout comes from behind them, making them turn at once.

And it should annoy them —the interruption that is, but somehow, it is the best thing that has happened to them all day. “Oh thank God,” Killian hears Emma whisper under her breath.

Before he can properly process anything that’s happening, she’s moved from his side and she’s instead rushing to Estella. “We’ve been looking all over for you, are you okay? Where were you?” She asks as she takes her kid into her arms and hugs her tightly.

Estella hugs her back, but when they pull back, she frowns at her mom. “It didn’t look like you guys were looking for me —you were just cuddling and talking,”

“Oh, Estella…” Emma sighs, cupping Estella’s cheeks in her hands, and kissing her forehead. “Are you okay?” Emma asks her instead of answering her question. Estella nods. “Good, good,” Emma says, relieved.

It’s then Killian steps in, and Estella’s eyes shift up to him. “Decided to join us on our adventure, huh?”

Estella smiles guiltily. “This is _my_ idea,” she reminds him.

Killian chuckles and Emma rolls her eyes knowing his _I told you so_ is just on the tip of his tongue

“See, I told you, Swan…”

 _There it is_. She shakes her head, rolling her eyes at him. She gives Estella one more quick hug before stepping back so Killian can have a turn greeting their kid.

Estella immediately reaches up her arms and Killian picks her up, engulfing her in a big, long overdue hug of his own.

The moment is gone the second Estella’s eyes catch sight of _it_ though _—their old selves in the middle of that heated discussion._ “Oh. My. God.” Estella lets out, wriggling off from Killian’s arms as fast as she can.

Emma and Killian look at each other for a beat, before going after her. Killian holds onto Estella again, an arm around her waist before she can get too far. “Stop it, Dad, I wanna —wait, that –that’s you?” She asks with huge wide eyes, turning to look at Emma.

Emma just gives Estella a resigned look and nods her head. “Yeah,” she says. “You have to keep it quiet before they hear us, okay?”

“Uh,” Estella gapes, shaking her head. Normally she would argue —she doesn’t want to argue right now though, she just wants to _see_ them.

Killian turns to the scene unfolding before them then, just as Estella does. Emma however, she decides to watch _them_ instead. Estella’s eyes squinting as she tries to make sense of just what she’s seeing —Emma wants to explain, she’s sure Estella’s bound to have questions, but for now she just allows her kid this moment.

If memory serves her well, they are going to have to get going soon anyway —ogres and all that fun.

“Whu— what, what are they doing? Where are they taking you?” Estella asks, her head shifting up to look at Killian. Before he can reply though, Estella sees just what they are doing to him — “They are tying you up to that tree?!” The question comes almost as a shout, and Emma inwardly curses.

She moves closer to Estella. “We are,” she tells her in a firm whisper. “Now, you _really_ _have_ to keep it quiet, Estella,” Emma warns one last time.

“Fine,” Estella says, “I’m sorry,” she adds, before looking over where her mom and dad and… “Wow, is that Grandma?” she breathes out in awe.

Killian smiles, and nods simply. “Mmhm,”

The group has moved enough that they all have a better view of everything going on now. Estella can’t tear her eyes away at all. “Mulan’s cool,”

“Aye, that she is, little love,” Killian agrees. “I don’t think she liked me all that much though,”

“Why?”

Emma watches them on as they discuss _their_ past with a small smile on her face. It’s one thing telling their kid the stories of how they met, their adventures and whatnot, it’s truly a whole new world to experience — _re-experience_ — those adventures _with her._

“Daddy was still a very poor decision maker at the time,”

“Huh,” Estella says, squinting her eyes again. She focuses in Emma this time — _just_ Emma, her older self, and Emma sees the intent in Estella’s features. As if she’s trying to put a puzzle together but just quite can’t.

“What is it?” Emma asks

Estella startles a little when Emma is suddenly just standing right next to her. She shakes her head, looking up at Emma — _her mom_ — and then at the _other_ Emma. “You’re _very_ different,”

The emphasis doesn't go unnoticed by Emma —or Killian for that matter either.

“What do you mean Estella?” Killian asks.

Estella looks back and forth before uneasily looking at her mom. “You’re walking away from him. From _daddy_?” she says, as though the thought alone is unfathomable to her.

Emma gets it.

Killian does too.

They smile at each other softly, over Estella’s head and then shrug. “It took your mother a little while to accept her feelings for dad,”

“It took your dad a little while to do the same as well,”

Killian gives her a _look,_ then says, “Let’s just agree _both_ your parents needed a little while before realizing we were madly in love, aye, love?”

It makes Emma chuckle, but she nods.

“Kinda like Grandma and Grandpa?” Estella asks, making Emma nod again.

“Exactly like Grandma and Grandpa,” she answers, but then Killian makes a face. “What?”

“Snow White and Prince Charming’s love story can’t hold a candle to our story, my love,” he says and if not for the ogres they can already hear in the distance, Emma would have kissed him right then and there.

He’s an idiot, but oh, does she love him?

Also, he’s not exactly wrong either —their story is pretty damn epic—

Estella breaks her thoughts then, tugging at her arm. “I don’t like the way that sounds.” Estella says, worrying her lip a little.

Emma doesn’t blame her for being scared; the sounds of the ogres approaching roar louder and louder now.

Emma and Killian look at each other and then simply nod. “Yeah, I don’t like it either,” Emma agrees. She grabs onto Estella’s hand firmly, and then says, “We gotta get going and put some distance between us and those ogres now, okay?”

“But what about them?” Estella says, looking back where the past version of her parents are still arguing.

Emma looks back too; one last glance to her old self, the guarded one, the one with the walls, the one that wouldn’t trust anyone —not even herself. She spares old Killian a look as well —him guarded like her, just as much. Hurt and in pain yet walled up and strong to the outside world.

“They are going to be okay, Ducky.” Emma tells Estella kindly. She looks down at her daughter, at those eyes that _so_ perfectly match her father’s, and she knows her words are one hundred percent correct.

— ღ   —

They set camp a few miles off the beanstalk; it’s going to be a while until the three of them can make their way up to retrieve the sapling, so making camp close enough, yet not _too_ close, makes sense.

Estella passes out in her father’s arms within minutes of them deciding on a spot to set camp. It’s been a long day —a really long day, and to say it’s past her bedtime, is obviously an understatement.

Night has set, so Emma works on a small fire as Killian holds Estella. And okay, fine, she _magics up_ the fire, but it still does the job and they are warm.

Emma sits by Killian and Estella, and after a few minutes of quiet discussion of their plan for when the sun rises, she grabs the kid’s backpack. Emma’s quite honestly starving, and she’s very certain, unlike her and Killian, their child is smart enough not to go into an adventure without a backpack full of— “Bloody hell, Swan!” Killian interrupts her thoughts then, and Emma can already feel a smile playing on her lips. She looks at him as he continues —his eyes wide as ever. “I thought we’ve gotten rid of all this garbage!”

Emma can’t help the giggle that escapes her. She rummages through Estella’s backpack and well, yeah, she can’t blame Killian for his reaction —that’s a lot of junk Estella packed. “Well, at least we aren’t going to starve…” Emma says, looking at the bright side, and smiling at Killian. “We’ve got cookies,” she chants, “And poptarts, chocolate bars, M&Ms, microwavable popcorn?” She asks, holding out the baggy, then shaking her head and dropping it back in the backpack. “Granola bars —these ones aren’t even _so_ terrible, here, have one,” Emma says, ignoring Killian’s annoyed glare as she peels open the wrapper and hands him the bar.

Rather grumpily, Killian takes it with his free hand and gives it a bite.

“Look, she even brought water, and hey, look, you can’t be too harsh on her for wanting to be prepared, she even brought a banana! A BANANA, Killian! What a healthy kiddo, don’t ya think?”

He frowns, and grunts —and pouts like a petulant child looking over at Emma. “This isn’t funny,” he insists, all the while Emma’s trying her darndest best not to grin. Killian rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, indulge her in these habits Swan…before we know it, Ollie’s going to be asking for those…” He shakes his head disgustingly. “ _Oreo_ cookies as well…”

Emma chuckles, digging straight for the cookies to help herself to some of course —but then…then she frowns because yeah, Killian mentioned their kid, their _youngest_ kid, their _baby_ , and now Emma absolutely feels like she might cry.

Killian notices her face falling and the way her hands still over the bloody cookies. He sighs. “Love,” he tries to say, but Emma shakes her head as though it’s not a big deal.

She’s trying hard, even getting one of the cookies out and almost to her mouth, but it’s no use —she drops it before it can even touch her lips.

A frustrated sigh escapes her. “I’ve never been away from him like this, have I?”

Killian doesn’t even need to think about his answer —he shakes his head. “No…”

“I miss him,”

“Aye, love, me too…” Killian agrees, sensing her sadness as his very own. He goes for a half smile toward her anyway. “He’s all right, Emma —you know this,”

“Yeah,” she says, but she’s hardly convinced.

Killian adds, “Besides, if we are to trust the specifics of this spell, this is a safe mission, we are going to be home in no time flat love. What’s more, Ollie’s home with the Charmings, poor lad is probably being spoiled rotten as we speak…” he says, and can already see the corners of her mouth curling upwards a little.  “ _We_ are missing him, but the little wee lad is probably not even going to notice we are gone…”

Emma’s eyebrows knit when she lifts her eyes to meet his —hearing this actually does make her feel a little better. “You’re right,” she concludes simply, thinking about her little guy smiling up a storm right before they jumped into the storybook to come here.

The memory is enough to make her smile and more importantly, for her appetite to return. She smirks at Killian before grabbing an Oreo and shoving it into her mouth without much ceremony —or manners. Killian can’t help the laugh that escapes him, and Emma can’t help the giggle that does too.

— ღ   —

They eventually share the banana and Killian convinces Emma to eat a _bloody granola bar_ instead of _all_ the sugary cookies in hopes to give her some actual energy for the rest of their adventure.

He’s picky and particular…and _fake_ grumpy about junk food most of the time. Emma actually truly loves that about him. Especially because she’s seen him have more than his fair share of cookies over the years with the kids…

Eventually, they trade places and Emma holds on to Estella while Killian keeps watch. She manages a little sleep actually, which she didn’t realize she needed so much until she wakes up and feels her entire body thanking her.

Killian’s watching her, watching her with a stupid grin on his face and Emma, even in her still sleepy state, can’t help but match it. “What?”

He shrugs, smirking, and looking away.

Emma rolls her eyes, sitting up slightly. “What is it?”

“Ah, nothing, Swan,” he lies, playfully scratching at the scruff on his chin. Emma shakes her head, but then when Killian looks at her, that stupidly powerful stare of his stuns her just like that. “I keep thinking about earlier —it’s indeed something to see us like this after all these years, isn’t it?”

Emma can’t help laughing because the fucking bastard is right. “Yeah,” she says, “ _Something_ , is a word I’d use as well…”

His laugh is low, a quiet little thing in the dark of the woods. He huffs a breath and shakes his head before looking at her again. “You wanna hear the truth?” He asks her, and carries on before Emma actually answers. “I wish I could punch myself in the face, you know?”

“What?!” Her voice comes high pitched, and she’s sorry about it immediately when Estella stirs in her arms.

Emma’s face crumples as she hurries to shush and lull her kid back to sleep. Thankfully, Estella doesn’t wake, and instead just shifts in her arms.

Emma’s pointedly looking at Killian the second Estella’s settled again. “What do you mean?” She whispers, and the idiot has the nerve to just shrug his shoulders. She rolls her eyes. “Killian, come on,”

He laughs —a far cry from a humorous laugh however. “I was a bloody git Swan,” he says then, shaking his head. Emma frowns, knowing he’s actually being serious about this. “I wish I could go up there, grab him by the shoulders, shake him —shake _me_ and shout some bloody sense into him —into _me_ for once and for all…”

“You’re…” Emma says, but then catches his face, she notes again how something’s shifted —he was joking before, but now… “Killian,” she tries, but he shakes his head.

“Back then—”

“We were different people,” Emma tells him before he can go anywhere else with that thought.

He has to give her that, so he nods, but… “I’m not proud of any of it,”

“I know,” Emma assures him, and when Killian looks at her, she searches for his eyes so that he knows she means this. “I’d punch me too,”

And thankfully this does it, and he breathes out a laugh. “Swan,” he whines and Emma has to laugh too because it’s his “ _I was trying to be serious,”_ whine.

She keeps going though, “I mean it.” She tells him. “I fucked up too,” she whispers the curse word just in case the kid in her arms is only half sleep —by the steadiness of her breathing though, Emma bets she’s truly in dreamland right now, but still… _just in case_. “I left you up there when I truly shouldn’t have —I just, you know, _had to…”_

Killian looks at her and Emma knows _he knows_ what she means —he nods. “Your mind, your heart, all of you was focused in getting home to Henry,” _Henry —his lad_. Killian shakes his head once more, breathing deeply. “Gods, Emma, if only I’d known half as much I know now…”

They share a look at that but Emma simply shrugs. “What would have been the fun in that?” She says, and Killian knows she has a point. “Besides, we could go up there now, _with Estella_ —Estella who is the most perfect combination of the two of us, and I bet my life those two would never, never in a million years believe us. We were _both_ pretty messed up back then…back, um, _here_ —you know what I mean…”

Killian frowns, processing her words. “You are—”

“Not wrong, Swan?” Emma tries, and has to gloat at the face Killian pulls. “You can admit defeat buddy –go ahead…”

“ _You_ , are a bloody git as well sometimes, my love,” he says, but Emma’s beyond whatever he can come up with, and can’t stop softly laughing despite the sleeping child in her lap.

She smiles at Killian but doesn’t say anything; instead she hugs Estella a little bit closer and whispers into her hair, “As if your Daddy hasn’t already punched his old self in the face before…” just loud enough so that Killian hears her too.

_“He was asking for it…”_

— ღ   —

They time their ascend of the beanstalk with Emma — _Old Emma’s_ — descend of it. Once the past version of Emma and the rest of the women —sans a devilishly handsome pirate, as Killian has to point out– clear the vicinity of the beanstalk, Emma, Killian, and Estella make the rest of their way there.

While Killian and Emma are busy getting ready for the climb, Estella looks up at the beanstalk in complete awe.

When Killian notices the look on her face, he can’t keep the comment to himself. “Pretty grand, eh?”

“Yeah,” she whispers, breathless as she turns to look at him and beams. “You _really_ climbed this thing with mum?”

Killian grins at that —there is a time and place to be humble, right now, it is _not_ that time. “Aye,”

Estella looks impressed, but then she presses, “And with Grandpa too?!”

“Aye,” he says and Estella giggles, her eyes shifting up again.

She’s heard the stories many times —many many times. The ones about the Beanstalk have always been some of her favorites, but this, being right in front of the thing, surely doesn’t compare.

“Are we ready?” Emma asks when she walks up to them. She has some ropes on her and Estella’s backpack on her back.

“Oh, I’m ready,” Estella replies excitedly, but both Killian and Emma look at her with tilted heads and odd expressions in their faces. “Um, what?”

“Obviously you aren’t climbing this thing on your own,” Emma tells her, Estella frowns.

“What?”

Killian places his hands over Estella’s shoulders. “You’re with me, clever lass…” he tells her. “Better yet, you’re _on me_ ,” he says, nodding toward his back.

Estella gives him an incredulous look for a moment —that, until her dad’s look turns smug… _overly smug_. “Ah, right,” she says.

“Should I remind you both I’ve ca—”

“Oh, don’t say it,” Emma says, shaking her head as she goes to lift up Estella into her arms. They giggle as Killian resolutely shakes his head and looks at them smugly.

“I _must_ remind you, I’ve carried rum barrels far heavier than the two of you together,”

Emma rolls her eyes as she helps Estella climb her dad’s back, and then works the ropes securely around them both. She looks at Killian over his shoulder and says, “Yeah, did you ever carry said barrels up a thousand feet high beanstalk?”

“Well,”

“Exactly my point,” Emma says as she secures the makeshift carrier to his back. “Hold on tight to dad, okay?” She tells Estella, smoothing the hair out of her face and kissing her forehead.

Estella nods, and squishes her cheek against Killian’s back. “I will,”

“Good girl,” Emma says, and then looks at Killian. “Are you sure you can do this?”

“Aye love,” he replies with no hesitation whatsoever. “The little lass couldn’t be safer, I promise…”

Emma sighs, but also nods her head. She knows Killian would never actually do this if he didn’t think he could —he’d never risk Estella’s safety for anything— so she tries to relax a little. “All right, let’s just go then…”

“Aye,”

“What about the spell though mum?”

“Oh,” Emma says looking at the beanstalk and using a hand to feel the protection spell over it. She twists her lips a little, closing her eyes as she tries to concentrate. It doesn’t take her too long to crack it.

She smiles. “I think I got it,” she says then, smiling to Estella over her shoulder.

The kid returns her smile, and then just watches as Emma concentrates once more and then quite quickly dispels of the protection spell with her own magic. Emma beams looking back at both Estella and Killian when she’s done.

“That a girl,”

She chuckles at Killian’s words, and then just nods toward the beanstalk. “Shall we?”

He nods. “We shall,”

Estella holds on to him just a bit tighter as they begin their climb and presses a kiss to his shoulder. “I love you dad,”

Her words melt Killian right then and there. “I love you too, my little love,” he promises, then looks at her over his shoulder. “Now let’s go find us some magic baby tree, aye?”

“Aye!”

— ღ   —

The first thing they do once they reach the top, is put Estella down —she walks before them, taking the whole place in as they stand back.

“Wow…” She whispers, taking in every little detail —better yet, every _huge_ detail. “I can’t believe this place is actually real,” she says, before turning to them. Her eyes are wide and innocent and okay, maybe this whole adventure isn’t so terrible after all…

( _So long as they can get out of here unharmed and with the sapling, of course.)_

“It’s _real_ ,” Estella stresses.

“Aye, lass,” Killian says, smiling. “You didn’t believe us before?”

“Oh —yes, of course, but…daddy!” she says, chuckling and shaking her head. She can’t quite put into words what actually being in this place feels.

“It’s okay,” Emma steps in then, wrapping an arm around Estella’s shoulders and kissing the top of her head. “Keep it down, but you can take a look around while I untangle Daddy from all those ropes, okay?”

“Really?”

Emma smiles at Estella. “Sure,” she wrinkles her nose at her playfully. “Be careful. And stay close, and…” Emma warns, “Keep an eye for the sapling, okay?”

“Kay mum…”

When Emma turns to Killian again, he’s already mostly freed himself from the ropes —he’s however also wincing a little. “You okay?”

“Aye,” he groans slightly, but still nods at her question. He’s not looking at her however; he’s squinting at his hand and —“Agh!” It’s cut all right… “Bloody—”

“Here,” Emma says, stepping in and grabbing his hand. Estella is wandering about them, and Emma can see her out of the corner of her eye. She inspects Killian’s cut hand for a moment and then looks at him playfully. “Well, you know…” she fake sighs. “Giants _can_ smell blood…” she says, feigning disappointment. He smirks and gets that look in his face —the look that means he’d kiss the daylights out of her if only their kid wasn’t around —and also if they weren’t in the middle of a mission, at the top of a beanstalk, with a giant nearby —but truly, it’s mostly because their kid’s around and she knows it. “You’re going to have to let me clean this,”

Killian makes a face as though he cares for a beat —but then he just grins and gives a shrug. “If you must,” he fakes a sigh as well, and it makes her giggle. “My fla—” the word dies on his kips as Emma reaches for _his_ flask, from _her_ pocket.

Killian frowns and looks at her with complete indignation. “ _You thief_!” He cries mockingly. “You _stole_ that from me!”

Emma smirks, looking at him pointedly. “ _Pirate_ ,” she says nodding toward herself, in lieu of an actual explanation.

Killian is more than pleased with her answer. He doesn’t get the chance to reply however, before Emma is already uncorking his flask with her mouth, and without second thoughts, pouring the rum over his cut hand. He hisses and gasps, but then can’t help smirk at that satisfied look on his wife’s face. “I always did know there was a pirate in you, Swan…”

Emma beams at him, taking his words as the highest compliment, really. She’s about to reply when that oh-so familiar little voice — _annoyed little voice—_ comes from behind them.

“Are you two _EVER_ going to stop with the doey eyes and mush?!”

Emma chuckles, and shakes her head. “Hey, be nice Estella,” she tells the kid with a smile.

Estella barely gives a shrug.

Killian adds then, “We’re still your parents even if we’re off in an adventure,”

Estella knows they’re right, but she still hangs her face stepping closer to them. “Sorry,” she mutters, “I just want to find the little magic tree,”

“We know little love…” Killian says with understanding. “We _are_ going to find it…”

“We just need to, you know, bandage this quick before your dad gets eaten by a giant or something.”

Estella can’t help the little smile that forms at her mom’s words. “Okay,” she nods at them, as her eyes shift then, scanning the area for the infamous sapling.

She doesn’t walk far —at all. She’s mere steps from her parents when something catches her eyes beneath them. She squints, wanting to be sure, but… _it’s there._

It’s _right_ _there_ and she can’t believe neither of them saw it before.

“I found it!” She exclaims in a hushed shout as she rushes back to her parent’s side. “Look, look, look mummy!” she says excitedly kneeling down on the floor before them.

Killian and Emma don’t have to look far, they merely have to bend their heads slightly, and, “Well, would you look at that…” Killian says, smiling slightly when Emma meets his eyes. It is right there, below them, right between them.

“Aw,” Estella coos looking at the thing as though it is the most precious little thing she’s ever seen. “It’s like a baby beanstalk!” She says looking up at the two of them.

Emma smiles at the kid and then looks at Killian who’s already looking at her. “It appears we’re back on track, huh love?”

“Mmhm,” she mumbles, before looking over at Estella and that ginormous smile she’s wearing. “Nice job, kid,”

Estella beams, even more so than before, if possible, and nods. “We can go home now!” She says, and her parents nod.

“Regina said she’ll retrieve us from page 114,”

“My parents’ castle,” Emma says.

“Aye,” Killian agrees, heaving a breath and looking around the place himself. “I guess we’ll wait until day break to start our journey there?” He says to what Emma simply nods in agreement.

“Why can’t we just go _now_?”

Killian and Emma share a look again. “We gotta wait until your dad—“ she stops herself, rethinking her words. “Until the _old version_ of daddy goes down the beanstalk first,” she explains. “The three of us may be going at a slower pace than him on his own, and since we really don’t want to run into him on our way down, we gotta wait until we are sure he’s way ahead of us…”

“Oh, right,” Estella says, before her eyes finally shift from the sapling and she looks around the place once more. “Where is the other you right now dad?”

Killian sighs a little, looking around the area as well. He then coyly scratches the back of his head. “I believe I’m biding my time in there waiting until the giant falls asleep,”

“Wait, what?!” Emma narrows her eyes, thrown off by the comment. “I thought Anton kept you chained until…” she trails off when Killian simply pulls a face —one of _those_ faces that implies she should know better by now. Emma’s face falls but she smiles a little too. “Right,” she says, and out of habit she looks at Estella and they share a look before saying at the same time, “ _The pirate thing,”_

“Aye,” Killian beams smugly and nods. “I got off of those chains in no time at all, love,” he tells Emma, almost offended she thought that humongous chain had been enough to contain him. “However foolish my plan seemed to you, it earned this pirate quite a bit of unexpected treasure,”

“Seriously?”

Killian shrugs. “Aye,” he tells her simply. “You truly hurt me Swan —leaving me up here and all; I was hurt, I was also so bloody pissed and betrayed, but…”

“A pirate’s a pirate,” Estella chimes in then and Killian looks at her, nodding pointedly.

“It turned out I could actually manage to carry quite a bit of treasure with me, Swan—on top of the dried up bean, of course…”

Emma huffs out a chuckle and shakes her head.

“You wish you haven’t left him up here mum?” Estella asks her then, throwing off Emma for a moment.

She knows she and Killian talked about this a little, but the answer is still not that simple. “I guess,” she says, but then adds, “It actually took me a while to realize it was a mistake though —that I could actually trust your Dad,”

“To be fair I didn’t make it easy for you to do so…”

Emma looks at him at that —uneasy; she scrunches up her face, not quite sure she agrees with that statement.

“What?”

“You did though,” she tells him. “At first anyway,” she adds. “You were honest with me. You helped as you said you would —I should have trusted you, Killian…”

They look at each other fully, and Estella can’t help groaning because she knows, she just _knows_ this is when the mushy kisses and doey eyes begin.

Killian’s the first one to crack, chuckling, and shaking his head slightly. “Aye aye, little lass, we won’t get into it right now, I swear,”

Estella looks playfully relieved. “Oh, thank God!” she says, making them laugh.

— ღ   —

“It kind of does look like a baby beanstalk, huh?”

“Aye,” Killian agrees although he knows there’s a lot more in his wife’s mind than she’s letting on. “What is it, huh?”

Emma shrugs, eyes still on the sapling. “Can I tell you the truth?”

Killian gives a face that pretty much translates to “Duh”

Emma shrugs at him once more. “Just wanted to be sure,” she says and it makes him smile. She takes a deep breath before she speaks. “I might of doubted the existence of, you know, this thing,” she says, looking at the sapling again. “And I mean, I _love you_ ,” she stresses. She meets his eyes and given that soft, full of love look in his eyes, Emma knows he does get it. “I love you,” she promises again anyway, for good measure she tells herself. “I guess, I don’t know —I know our love is true and all, but…”

“I get it, Swan,” Killian says, and Emma simply looks at him because _yes_ , she knows he does. “I know you hoped we’d find it,”

Emma nods to that. “I did,” she tells him honestly. “But at the same time I didn’t want to, I don’t know, _assume_?”

Killian doesn’t reply, but his lips do twist a tad and he tilts his head to the side just a bit.

“When Estella brought it up, she was so sure it had to be up here, and I…I didn’t want to disappoint her, I guess…”

Killian can actually understand what she means —exactly. “Our love is pretty grand though, my love. We probably shouldn’t be too shocked it created this little beacon of magic…”

She can’t help smiling at that. “Yeah,” she agrees simply and laughs.

The sound is a breathy thing; light but happy. Killian’s heart warms instantly at the sound. “We should be able to complete the spell now,”

Killian nods, although he knows this is only partly what’s troubling her. “Mmm…”

Emma steps in closer to him, and then easily allows Killian to wrap his arms around her. She breathes deeply, taking him in, taking the last day in. He kisses the top of her head, and Emma closes her eyes feeling emotion rush through her suddenly.

He uses his finger under her chin to help her look up at him then. He smiles and it takes all Emma has not to start crying right then and there for some reason. “I would never think you doubt what we have love,” he says then, making Emma squeeze her eyes tight, because yes, that’s it —that’s exactly what she couldn’t put into words just now. “I know it’s easy to get caught up in whatever the blazes _true love_ means or is, but we… we’re more than just that,” he promises her. “Everything we have hasn’t been given to us —we work at this every single day and even when it’s hard and frustrating, I know our love doesn’t waver…it never does, it never will…”

Emma nods, her eyes feeling hot and stingy with tears she madly refuses to cry. She opens her mouth to specifically tell him she loves him, but then—

“THESE GRAPES ARE GINORMOUS!” Estella’s giggles break their moment.

They pull back and sure enough, they see their kid roll their way two of those giant grapes, with the biggest grin on her face. Killian grins back at his kid before turning to Emma and offering her a soft, loving smile. He uses his thumb to wipe at that one lone tear that did fall to her face.

Emma smiles at him, thankful for just about everything he is and for the fact that so many years later he still looks at her with equals amount of awe, respect, pride and even lust as he did the first time they were atop this beanstalk.

“Love you,” Emma whispers quickly before Estella reaches them and proclaims she’s found supper therefore she should be allowed to eat the rest of the Oreo cookies in her backpack.

— ღ   —

It’s only a couple hours later that they see Killian’s old self running as fast as he can toward the beanstalk.

“That’s you, daddy!” Estella beams, looking up at him with the goofiest smile.

Killian chuckles, although he has to admit it is a strange feeling seeing his very own self escaping that bloody giant once again. “That _was_ me, my little love,”

He bops her nose, and Estella giggles, shifting her eyes again to the running old version of her dad. They are hiding behind some bushes off the top of the beanstalk. They have a perfect view of the top as well as the Giant’s castle from their spot. Their plan is still to descend at daybreak but it’s good to be able to time old Killian’s descend as well —last thing they need is truly to run into him or anyone from this timeline.

Once he’s gone, and a moment has passed by, Estella turns to Killian once more. “What would you tell him daddy?”

“What?”

“Him,” Estella says, pointing to the beanstalk. “Your old you, what would you tell him?”

“To stop being a bloody git,”

“Dad!”

“Killian,” Emma calls too, actually interested to hear his answer.

“I’m not joking,” Killian defends himself. “I mean it; I’ll tell him to stop being a… _dummy_ , and instead listen and do _everything_ the lady Swan and her mother tell him,”

Estella chuckles, but still accepts his answer.

“I think that’s pretty decent advice…” Emma agrees, smiling at him knowingly.

Killian holds her stare, and they last less than three seconds before he leans in and kisses her.

Estella groans, but there’s a smile on her face as she leans back and rests her back against her mom. She waits until they’ve pulled back from each other before questioning Emma now. “What would _you_ tell him mum?”

“To your dad's old self?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Mm,” Emma considers it. “Probably that I’m sorry,” she says, looking at Estella and then at Killian. “Really, I already told you this, but…it wasn’t fair to you to leave you here,” she says, but then hurries to add more before he can start gloating —because she _knows_ he will. “Not to say I’m sorry about anything else —you were a piece of work back in the day, I’m still very damn happy I kicked your butt at lake Nostos,”

Estella snickers at that because yeah, she’s read that part of the story too and Emma herself has told her that part of the story a lot as well, and well, she loves it.

“She bested you daddy!”

Emma thinks Killian is about to defend himself, throw in his usual “ _I allowed you to win, love”_ but instead he looks at Estella softly, and shrugs. “That she did, little love…” his eyes shift to Emma’s then. “That you did, love…”

Smugly Emma allows her grin to form, but then, despite Estella’s protests, she goes to kiss him one more time. “Round two when we get off this thing?”

He just laughs and wiggles those eyebrows in response.

— ღ   —

Their descend from the beanstalk, it turns out, is a lot less eventful than both other times Killian has had to descend that bloody thing.

Even with Estella on his back, asleep at some point, seemingly weighing far more than she normally ever would, Killian will still say this is by far the easiest climb and descend he’s experienced.

And maybe it’s the fact that for once he isn’t separated from Emma while doing so —or afraid he has lost his wife, his future, his everything as he’s being attacked by a dragon of all bloody terrifying creatures.

This time the mission was risky, but never hopeless. They _are_ separated from the rest of their family, their son, their sweet little baby that is the happiest one in _any_ realm, _but_ , they _have_ a way back home to him. There isn’t a doubt about how they are getting back. There isn’t paralyzing fear that he isn’t seeing him again.

Things seem…hopeful, for lack of a better term.

They even actually did find the magic little baby tree so even their crisis back home should be taken care of now too.

When Emma turns to look at him, she seems Killian grinning madly to himself as they trek the woods to the castle.

She loves him like this so much — _happy_. And while she’s tempted to ask him just what has him so happy, she thinks she doesn’t have to. She’s feeling much the same honestly —they did it. They retrieved the baby tree —they found Estella, they shared an adventure with her, they are safely going home now. Emma finds herself matching Killian’s stupidly huge grin without much reluctance.

Estella herself is leading the way —she’s not that far ahead from them, and even from their spot behind her, it isn’t too hard to tell she too is feeling accomplished and quite happy with herself. She’s almost skipping through the woods, her steps certain and every time she’s done the occasional over the shoulder glance to check on them, she’s been grinning.

Perhaps not the most ordinary family bonding exercise —but it’s life, it’s _their_ life and it’s certainly not a particularly bad one. At all.

“Hey love,”

“Uh,” Emma startles. She shakes her head, shakes herself out of her thoughts. She’s still distracted though and misses a piece of broken tree branch beneath her as she gives a step.

She trips, but Killian catches her before she falls to her knees.

“You all right there darling?” He’s smirking at her, smugly and she wants, truly wants, to call him on it, wipe it off his face with a kiss, or a slap maybe too, but she doesn’t.

Emma just nods at him, and doesn’t fight him one bit when he pulls her to his side and kisses her mouth gently. “I was thinking,” he says then, his voice low, mouth essentially still on hers, his words only for her. “And I don’t mean to upset you my love,”

She laughs, she can’t stop it, she knows where he’s going with this and she should just stop him —kiss him senseless and bear with Estella’s ire when she takes notice that they are being “ _mushy and disgusting”_ in front of her, but…

Emma doesn’t say anything. She smiles, looking deeply into his eyes as he slows down their pace and holds her in place, as close to him as he can manage. “What?” She asks him finally, keeping her face as neutral as she can.

Emma guesses she’s doing a very poorly job by the look of complete amusement in Killian’s face, but that’s not here nor there, right?

“You and I make quite the team.” And of course _that is_ what he says.

Emma purses her lips, her eyes drowning in the blue of his as he stares back with so much love and adoration and pride too. “I love you,” she just says.

Killian’s eyes soften, he blinks slowly, licks his lips before allowing them to curl upwards at her words. “Aye,” he nods slightly. “I you, my love…”

Emma beams. She stands on her tiptoes, her lips parting slightly, he’s so close. She smiles at the way his scruff scratches her face, the way his fingers gently plays at her hip, the way he smells, the way he wants her so much and she does him. The way—

“OH COME ON!”

They close their eyes at exactly the same time, letting out almost twin puffs of air at almost the exact same rate. They can hear Estella marching toward them with purpose.

Next they know, their kid is wiggling her way between them, effectively creating some distance between them.

Estella shakes her head disapprovingly, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. “NO MUSH!” She calls, tugging at their hands as she starts walking and makes them both do so as well. “We are going _home_ ,” she stresses and truly, neither Emma nor Killian can argue with her on this one.

“Aye, aye little love…”

“Good,” Estella replies resolutely, not even sparing them another look.

Emma and Killian however, _do_ share a look over her head. The smiles on their faces just about match the amount of love in their hearts right then. “Bloody _brilliant_ team we are…” Killian whispers.

Emma simply smiles —he’s right.

~ F I N ~

 


End file.
